ng as hard as we could, and with little streams of water
running from our tongues. We were both pretty well used up. Jim's back
was bleeding in several places from the stones that Jenkins had thrown
at him., and I was a mass of bruises.

Presently we were discovered, and then what a fuss was made over us.
"Brave dogs! noble dogs!" everybody said, and patted and praised us. We
were very proud and happy, and stood up and wagged our tails, at least
Jim did, and I wagged what I could. Then they found what a state we were
in. Mrs. Morris cried, and catching me up in her arms, ran in the house
with me, and Jack followed with old Jim.

We all went into the parlor. There was a good fire there, and Miss Laura
and Miss Bessie were sitting over it. They sprang up when they saw us,
and right there in the parlor washed our wounds, and made us lie down by
the fire.

"You saved our silver, brave Joe," said Miss Bessie; "just wait till my
papa and mamma come home, and see what they will say. Well, Jack, what
is the latest?" as the Morris boys came trooping into the room.

"The policeman has been questioning your nurse, and examining the
dining-room, and has gone down to the station to make his report, and do
you know what he has found out?" said Jack, excitedly.

"No what?" asked Miss Bessie.

"Why that villain was going to burn your house."

Miss Bessie gave a little shriek. "Why, what do you mean?"

"Well," said Jack, "they think by what they discovered, that he planned
to pack his bag with silver, and carry it off; but just before he did so
he would pour oil around the room, and set fire to it, so people would
not find out that he had been robbing you."

"Why we might have all been burned to death," said Miss Bessie. "He
couldn't burn the dining-room without setting fire to the rest of the
house.

"Certainly not," said Jack, "that shows what a villain he is."

"Do they know this for certain, Jack?" asked Miss Laura.

"Well, they suppose so; they found some bottles of oil along with the
bag he had for the silver."

"How horrible! You darling old Joe, perhaps you saved our lives," and
pretty Miss Bessie kissed my ugly, swollen head. I could do nothing but
lick her little hand, but always after that I thought a great deal of
her.

It is now some years since all this happened, and I might as well tell
the end of it. The next day the Drurys came home, and everything was
found out about Jenkins. The night they left Fairpo